PattayaPattaya (Thai: พัทยา, pronunciation (help·info),
RTGS: Phatthaya, Thai pronunciation: [pʰát.tʰā.jāː])
is a resort city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of
Thailand, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south-east of Bangkok,
within, but not part of,
Amphoe Bang LamungAmphoe Bang Lamung in the province of
Chonburi. The
PattayaPattaya City (Thai: เมืองพัทยา
RTGS: Mueang Phatthaya) is a self-governing municipal area which
covers the whole tambon
Nong Prue and Na Klua and parts of Huai Yai
and Nong Pla Lai. The city is in the industrial Eastern Seaboard zone,
along with Si Racha, Laem Chabang, and Chonburi.
PattayaPattaya is the center
of the Pattaya-Chonburi Metropolitan Area—the conurbation in
Chonburi Province—with a total population roughly 1,000,000.

The name
PattayaPattaya evolved from the march of
Phraya Tak (later King
Taksin) and his army from Ayutthaya to Chanthaburi, which took place
before the fall of the former capital to Burmese invaders in 1767.
When his army arrived in the vicinity of what is now Pattaya, Phraya
Tak encountered the troops of a local leader named Nai Klom, who tried
to intercept him. When the two met face to face, Nai Klom was
impressed by
Phraya Tak's dignified manner and his army's strict
discipline. He surrendered without a fight and joined his forces. The
place the armies confronted each other was thereafter known as "Thap
Phraya", which means the "army of the Phraya". This later became
Pattaya, the name of the wind blowing from the south-west to the
north-east at the beginning of the rainy season.
PattayaPattaya was a fishing village until the 1960s. Then, during the
Vietnam War, American servicemen stationed at nearby U-Tapao or other
US bases in
ThailandThailand began visiting Pattaya. One story, unverified by
a reliable source, notes that it all started when a group of 500
American soldiers stationed at the military base in Korat were driven
to
PattayaPattaya on 29 June 1959 for a week of rest and relaxation. They
rented several houses at the south end of the beach from a prominent
Thai, Lord Sunthorn. Despite their short stay, the soldiers had a
great time and raved about the place. The word spread among other
American soldiers stationed in the region and
PattayaPattaya quickly became a
hot alternative to Bangkok.[1]
Climate[edit]
PattayaPattaya has a tropical wet and dry climate, which is divided into the
following seasons: hot and dry (December to February), hot and humid
(March and April), and hot and rainy (May to November).

Source #2: Office of Water Management and Hydrology, Royal Irrigation
Department (sun and humidity)[3]

Demographics[edit]

Pattaya, Thailand

The city (mueang) had 320,262 people resident and counted on census
2010 (National Statistics Office).[4] Most of these people counted are
Thai, with most migrant populations not recognized, although the
details are quite complex as there are even indigenous Thais without
nationality, and migrant workers have since been largely regularized
(albeit with due foreign pressure). Therefore, the census population
even does not represent the total figure. As for Thai nationals and
legal permanent residents (very few) registering the city as their
hometown, the provincial authority logged population was 107,944 in
2010, modestly rising to 118,511 by 2017.[5] As with the Bangkok
Metropolitan Region, registered population figure issued by a
different agency than the National Statistics Office hardly captures
the scope of the urban transformation that has occurred over the time
span — the economy is dependent on the large numbers of casual Thai
workers who work in the city yet remain registered in their hometowns,
there is much employment turnover and to and fro from the capital, as
well as seasonal farm migration. Migrant workers from neighboring
nations, and many long-term expatriates who reside in the city as
retirees or self-employed or contracted are traditionally not counted.
There has never been a reliably published figure for total population,
but its thought to be quite large (on the order of half a million
people) given the ubiquity and sheer number of migrant workers taking
place of Thai labor.
PattayaPattaya city excludes some nearby areas like Nong
Prue (73,901 people in 2010 census) and Huay Yai.
PattayaPattaya additionally has massive population inflow from short stay
tourism, with its 2000 hotels and 136,000 rooms available as of
2015.[6]
Due to the tourist industry, many people from the north-east (known as
Isan, the poorest region of Thailand) have come to work in Pattaya,
and are counted for census purposes in their hometowns.
There is a fast-growing community of foreign retirees living in
Pattaya.
ThailandThailand immigration has a special visa category for
foreigners over age 50 who wish to retire in Thailand.
PattayaPattaya is
attractive to many retirees from other countries not only because of
its climate and exotic, easy lifestyle, but also because living costs
are lower than in many countries.[citation needed]

Pattaya, on the Gulf of Thailand, is approximately 160 kilometres
(99 mi) south of the city of
BangkokBangkok in the Bang Lamung District.
The city of
PattayaPattaya is a special municipal area which covers the whole
tambon
Nong Prue (Nongprue) and Na Kluea (Naklua) and parts of Huai
Yai and Nong Pla Lai.
Bang Lamung townshipBang Lamung township which forms the northern
border of
PattayaPattaya covers parts of the tambon Bang Lamung (Banglamung),
Nong Pla Lai and Takhian Tia. Bang Sali is on the southern border of
Pattaya.
"Greater Pattaya" occupies most of the coastline of Banglamung (one of
the eleven districts that make up Chonburi Province). It is divided
into a larger northern section which spans the areas to the east of
Naklua Beach (the most northern beach) and
PattayaPattaya Beach (the main
beach) plus Pratamnak Hill (often called "Buddha Hill" because of the
temples on top of the hill) headland immediately south of Pattaya
Beach, and a smaller southern section covering the area to the east of
Jomtien Beach (directly south of Pratamnak Hill).
Administration[edit]
PattayaPattaya city has been administered under a special autonomous system
since 1978. It has a status comparable to a municipality and is
separately administered by the mayor of
PattayaPattaya city who is
responsible for making policies, organising public services, and
supervising the city's workforce.
Sister cities[edit]

City
Country
Year
Ref

Shymkent
Kazakhstan
[citation needed]

Saint Petersburg
Russia
[citation needed]

Qingdao
China
2013
[7]

Wuhan
China
2014
[8]

Zhangjiajie
China
2016
[9]

Beaches and islands[edit]

The
PattayaPattaya Bay area is one of Asia's largest beach resorts and the
second most visited city in Thailand, after Bangkok. This panorama
overlooks Bali Hai pier and the core of the city.

The main sweep of the bay area is divided into two principal
beachfronts.
PattayaPattaya Beach is parallel to the city centre, and runs
from
PattayaPattaya Nuea south to Walking Street. Along Beach Road are
restaurants, shopping areas, and bars.

Pratumnak from Wat Phra Yai

Pratumnak is on the south side of
PattayaPattaya and is popular for its
viewpoints and the temple (Wat Phra Yai) on top of the hill. Pattaya
Park and
PattayaPattaya tower are at the south end of Pratumnak and the
PattayaPattaya Exhibition And Convention Hall (P.E.A.C.H), is positioned at
the north end of Pratumnak. In recent years, Pratumnak has gained in
popularity because of its more natural environment, nicer beaches, and
its convenient location between
Jomtien and
PattayaPattaya city.
Jomtien is divided from
PattayaPattaya by Thepprasit Road, the southern route
into
PattayaPattaya city. It consists of high-rise condominiums, beach side
hotels, bungalow complexes, shops, bars, and restaurants.
Offshore islands include three "near islands":
Ko LanKo Lan (main island),
Ko Sak, and Ko Krok, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the shore of
Pattaya. The "far islands" are
Ko PhaiKo Phai (main island), Ko Man Wichai,
Ko Hu Chang and Ko Klung Badan, located offshore further west of the
"near islands". Ko Rin lies offshore to the south-west, south of Ko
Phai group. The names "near islands", "far islands", and "Coral
Island" are used for marketing purposes only and do not correspond to
any naming conventions of the island groups and are not shown on
maritime charts published by the Hydrographic Service of the Royal
Thai Navy.
In June 2016 the Regional Environmental Office reported that, "The sea
water along the busy central
PattayaPattaya beaches is of poor quality and
could endanger human and marine life."[10]
Transportation[edit]

Rail[edit]
A daily service operates on the Eastern Line of the State Railway of
ThailandThailand between
PattayaPattaya and Hualumphong Station in Bangkok.[11]
Bus[edit]
PattayaPattaya is served by bus services from Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal
(Mo Chit) and the Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekamai), connecting to
Pattaya's main bus terminal on
PattayaPattaya Nuea (North
PattayaPattaya Road) near
Sukhumvit Road.
There are two Airport Bus Services[12] The 389 Bus airportpattayabus
service connects
PattayaPattaya with
Suvarnabhumi AirportSuvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), it is
located on Thappraya Road near the intersection of Thepprasit Road. It
uses modern air-conditioned buses, and takes around ​1 1⁄2
hours to reach the airport. The trip from the airport (level 1 gate 8
at arrival hall) to the bus terminal in Pattaya, makes 3 stops at
North, Central, and South
PattayaPattaya intersections before going straight
to their last drop off point, the office on Thappraya road (near
Jomtiem). It can take longer if many hotel stops are negotiated along
Sukhumvit RoadSukhumvit Road in Pattaya.[13] The other bus service is the Bell
Travel Service (Coach 36) which goes from the airport (Level 1 Between
Gate 7 & 8) to the
PattayaPattaya Bell office at the North Pattaya
Intersection, and then provides transfers to local hotels.[14]
Buses from a terminal on
Sukhumvit RoadSukhumvit Road near
PattayaPattaya Klang (near the
Central
PattayaPattaya intersection) connect
PattayaPattaya with many destinations
in the north-east (i.e. Isan).
City and suburban services are mainly provided by songthaew, popularly
nicknamed "baht buses" or "blue taxis".
Taxis[edit]
Some metered taxis and air-conditioned vans operate for private hire
from hotel car-parks. Nicknamed "baht-buses" in Pattaya, songthaews
are the most common mode of public transportation. The cost is 10 baht
for any distance on a regular route, but much higher if asked to go to
a specific destination. Motorbike taxis generally operate in the town
and suburbs. Although taxis must carry meters by law they are, in
reality, rarely used.
Air[edit]
PattayaPattaya is about 120 kilometres (75 mi) by road from Suvarnabhumi
Airport (BKK), the country's largest International airport. By road,
it is accessed from
Sukhumvit RoadSukhumvit Road and Motorway 7 from Bangkok.
PattayaPattaya is also served by scheduled flights via U-Tapao International
Airport (UTP) which is 45 minute drive south of the city.
Boat[edit]
A passenger-only ferry service from
PattayaPattaya to Hua Hin began operation
on 12 January 2017 and is operated by Royal Passenger Liner.[15] By
road, the journey takes five to six hours. The ferry shortens travel
time to about two hours, subject to sea conditions. The ferry cruises
at 27 knots on the 113 km journey across the Gulf of Thailand
with a maximum passenger capacity of 150 persons. Larger ferries
carrying up to 260 people may be added to the service later. Ferries
capable of carrying vehicles are projected for 2020.[16]

Wat Khao Phra Bat temple overlooking
PattayaPattaya Bay features a Buddha
statue more than 18 m tall; this photograph was taken in 1983 prior to
it being painted gold

Buddha statue at Wat Khao Phra Bat after it was painted gold

The Sanctuary of Truth.

Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden

Mime on Walking Street.

Once a fishing town,
PattayaPattaya first boomed as an R&R destination
during the Vietnam War. It is striving to become a family-oriented
seaside destination.[citation needed] In 2007, foreign tourists
visiting
ThailandThailand totalled 14.5 million.[17]
Popular activities include golf (19 golf courses within 40 minutes of
Pattaya[18]), go-kart racing, and visiting different theme parks and
zoos such as the Elephant Village, where demonstrations of training
methods and ancient ceremonial re-enactments are performed daily. The
private Sri Racha Tiger Zoo features tigers, crocodiles, and other
animals in daily shows. The Vimantaitalay tourist submarine offers
30-minute trips underwater to see corals and marine life just a few
kilometres offshore. Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden, about 15
kilometres south of Pattaya, is a 500-acre (2.0 km2) botanical
garden and orchid nursery where cultural shows with trained
chimpanzees and elephants are presented. The park also keeps several
tigers and an assortment of birds.
Other attractions in
PattayaPattaya include the Million Years Stone Park,
PattayaPattaya Crocodile Farm,
PattayaPattaya Park Beach Resort Water Park, Funny
Land Amusement Park, Siriporn Orchid Farm, Silverlake Winery,
Underwater World Pattaya, the Thai Alangkarn Theater
PattayaPattaya (cultural
show), Bottle Art Museum, Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, and
Underwater World, an aquarium with a collection of marine species from
the Gulf of
ThailandThailand including sharks and stingrays. Khao Pratamnak or
Khao Phra Bat is a small hill between south
PattayaPattaya and
Jomtien Beach
that provides a panoramic view of the city and its crescent bay. The
hill is topped by Wat Khao Phra Bat, a temple, and the monument of
Kromluang Chomphonkhetudomsak, who is regarded as the founding father
of the modern Thai navy.
The
Cartoon Network AmazoneCartoon Network Amazone is a water park near the navy base golf
course that was opened in late 2014. It has a
Cartoon NetworkCartoon Network theme.
The park includes different zones where different water slides can be
seen. There is also a wave pool and surfing simulator that anyone can
use, and the largest water playground in south-east Asia, which also
includes two tipping buckets. A food court was opened later in 2014,
and includes a large variety of cuisines, from traditional Thai food
to Italian and Japanese food. Small huts are available for rent around
the park. Yearly passes are available for those who wish to come there
often and easily walk into the park. Several stores and gift shops are
still under construction and are projected to be finished by late
2015.[19]
RamaYana, with a total size of more than 18 ha (45 acres / 102 Rai),
is one of Asia’s biggest waterparks, was opened in May 2016. The
park, which is designed as a modern waterpark built on an antique
Asian city, offers 21 water slides, and some of them unique1, 2
dedicated children’s zones, a 600m long lazy river and a double wave
pool with a 150m wide beach as well as relaxation and activity pools.
The park, which is located 20 km south of
PattayaPattaya City, close to
the big Buddha Mountain (Khao Chi Chan) and next to Silverlake
vineyard, has natural lakes and islands in and around the park, and
also includes attractions like a floating market, real elephants or a
maze. A restaurant offers more than 100 dishes and food delivery to
sun lounges, which are provided free of charge. The park also offers
massage services and fish spa.
The Sanctuary of TruthThe Sanctuary of Truth is a large wooden structure constructed in 1981
by the sea at Laem Ratchawet. It was conceived from the concept that
human civilization owes its existence to religious and philosophical
truth.
Mini Siam is a miniature model village which celebrates the heritages
of
ThailandThailand with replicas of the most famous monuments and historical
sites including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Democracy Monument,
the Bridge over the River Kwai, and Prasat Hin Phimai. Models of the
Tower BridgeTower Bridge of London, Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and Trevi
Fountain are also displayed in the section called "mini-world".
Wat Yanasangwararam Woramahawihan is a temple constructed in 1976 for
Somdet Phra Yanasangwon, the present supreme patriarch. Within the
temple compound are a replica of the Buddha's footprint, and a large
chedi containing Buddha relics.
Thepprasit Market is the biggest and busiest market in Pattaya. It is
open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening on Thepprasit Road. It
is known for selling pets, has many Thai food stalls including local
specialities like fried insects and scorpions as well as branded
clothing, shoes, and electronic goods.

Play media

Thepprasit Market, Pattaya

Festivals and events[edit]

Chinese New YearChinese New Year (varies from late January to early February) is
celebrated by Pattaya's large Thai-Chinese community with dragon
parades, lion dances, and fireworks.
Burapa
PattayaPattaya Bike Week is Thailand's, and one of south-east Asia's,
biggest motorcycle event held in
PattayaPattaya each February, drawing
motorcycle enthusiasts from all over south-east Asia and abroad. The
2010 event was held over two days with local and international live
music acts.[20]
PattayaPattaya International Music Festival is held annually in the month of
March. It attracts huge crowds to the different stages along Beach
Road and Bali Hai Pier, and presents several styles of music performed
by Thai and international artists.
The
PattayaPattaya Songkran festival, locally called Wan Lai, takes place
each year in mid-April. It differs from most other Songkran festivals
of
ThailandThailand in several aspects. It lasts several days longer and,
besides water fights, the event includes beauty pageants, musical
performances, cultural shows, fireworks, and water sports
competitions.
Top of the Gulf Regatta is a week-long sailing event held at the end
of April, beginning of May.[21]
The Miss Tiffany Universe beauty pageant is held mid-May each year.
During the four-day pageant, Thailand's most beautiful transgender
persons and transsexuals vie for first place with the final evening
broadcast live on Thai TV for an audience of, on average, 15
million.[22][23][24][25]
PattayaPattaya Marathon, featuring several race categories, is held each year
in July.[26]
PattayaPattaya Classical Guitar Festival, held annually on the last weekend
of October, organized by the
ThailandThailand Guitar Society,
PattayaPattaya People
Media Group, and Siam Bayshore Pattaya.
Loi Krathong, a light festival held during the full moon of the
twelfth month in the traditional
Thai lunar calendarThai lunar calendar and which usually
falls in November, is celebrated in Pattaya, as in the rest of the
country, that evening with people floating krathongs (small,
candle-lit floats made from elaborately folded banana leaves) on the
waters, as well as releasing khom loi (candle-fired hot air balloons)
into the night sky.
Every November
PattayaPattaya hosts Miss International Queen, a yearly
international pageant for transgender persons and transsexuals. In
2007 the event drew an estimated 25 million viewers on national
TV.[27][28]

Nightlife[edit]

Walking Street, Pattaya

Two transsexual cabaret performers in Pattaya, Thailand

PattayaPattaya has derived part of its reputation as a tourist destination
due to the sex industry[29][30] and the resulting nightlife, and this
notoriety has influenced the city's evolution in many ways.[31]
Prostitution in
ThailandThailand is technically illegal but tolerated in most
cities, including Pattaya.[32] The city's vast numbers of host bars,
gogo bars, massage parlours, saunas, and hourly hotels, serve foreign
tourists as well as locals. This is especially prominent on Walking
Street as well as other areas around the city.[33] Efforts have been
made to clean up the city's image.[34]
Articles in the British tabloids The Sun[35] and the Daily Mirror[36]
have described
PattayaPattaya as "the world's sex capital", a "modern-day
Sodom and Gomorrah". This provoked anger from government officials as
high up as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Pol Col Apichai
Krobpetch, the
PattayaPattaya police superintendent, denied that
PattayaPattaya is a
sex trade paradise. Upset about the British media's stories, he
insisted they were fabricated. "There is no such thing as prostitution
in Pattaya," said Col Apichai. "Where did they get the figure of
27,000 sex workers in Pattaya? Anyone can make up this
information....Thai ladies having sex with foreigners is their
personal issue. If they like each other, I don't see anything wrong
with what they do behind closed doors."[37] In response, Pattaya
social worker Surang Janyam, the director of Service Workers IN Group
Foundation, said that estimated number of
PattayaPattaya prostitutes
published in the Daily Mirror is inaccurate: "27,000 sex workers in
PattayaPattaya is way too low. We have a lot more sex workers than that."[37]
As evidence of the government's commitment to clean up Pattaya, on 26
February 2017 at 20:00, 60 police officers and soldiers raided
Pattaya's notorious Soi 6 to check for violations of the law. When the
checks were completed, police announced that all licenses were in
order and there was no law breaking of any kind, including
prostitution, taking place there.[38]
PattayaPattaya also has Asia's largest gay scene[30] based around Boyztown,
the
Jomtien Complex, and Sunee Plaza. The city is also famous for its
flamboyant kathoey cabaret shows where transsexual and transgender
entertainers perform to packed houses.[39]
Health care[edit]
Large hospitals in the area include
BangkokBangkokPattayaPattaya Hospital (private,
the most expensive),
PattayaPattaya International Hospital (private),
Banglamung Hospital (public),
PattayaPattaya City Hospital (public) and
PattayaPattaya Memorial Hospital (private). Many foreign tourists have dental
and medical procedures done in Pattaya, although
BangkokBangkok is more
popular as a medical tourist destination.[citation needed]
Crime[edit]
In recent years,
PattayaPattaya has served as a hideaway for foreigners with
connections to organized crime in their home countries, and dozens
have been murdered in gang-related disputes.[40][41]
Visitors may encounter petty crime, usually limited to pickpocketing
and confidence tricks, particularly in and around major tourist areas
such as
Jomtien and
PattayaPattaya Beaches and on the "baht buses". A special
Tourist Police division has been established to aid tourists who are
victims of crime. The 2009 British eight-episode TV documentary Big
Trouble in Tourist
ThailandThailand described crimes involving tourists in
Pattaya.[42]
On 11 April 2009, Thailand's Prime Minister
Abhisit VejjajivaAbhisit Vejjajiva declared
a state of emergency in the areas of
PattayaPattaya and Chonburi, in response
to red shirt anti-government protesters breaking into the conference
center of the
Royal Cliff Beach ResortRoyal Cliff Beach Resort hotel complex, the site of an
ASEANASEAN meeting. The meeting was immediately cancelled and Asian leaders
were evacuated, some by helicopter.[43][44]
Media and communications[edit]
Several local foreign-language newspapers and magazines are published
either weekly or monthly, especially in English, Russian and German.
The English newspapers include the
PattayaPattaya People Weekly, Pattaya
Mail,
PattayaPattaya Today. The German language magazine and news portal is
DER FARANG.[45]
Education[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January
2018)

International schools in Pattaya:

École francophone de Pattaya
International School of Chonburi
Tara Pattana International School
Regents International School Pattaya